1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a soldering device and a method of making a soldering device.
2. Description of the State of the Art
Conventional soldering devices include heating and sensor circuits imprinted onto a heating member. A drawback with such devices is that coverage of the heating circuit around the heating member is limited and/or non-uniform due to traces of the sensor circuit which pass through the heating circuit. Another drawback with such devices is that the sensor circuit, which is intended to detect the working temperature at the front end of the soldering iron tip, is located on the heating member. This often means that the sensor circuit is not positioned as close as possible to the front end of the soldering iron tip, which can adversely affect accuracy of temperature measurements.
Conventional soldering devices include a tip cartridge and a handle having various engagement elements that keep the tip cartridge attached to the handle. Disassembly of the of the tip cartridge from the handle, such as during maintenance, often results in inadvertent loss of the engagement elements.
Accordingly, there is a need for a soldering device with a temperature sensor that can be attached in a reliable manner and that can accurately measure the temperature of the soldering iron tip. There is also a need for a soldering device which can be disassembled and has engagement elements that include loss prevention features.